Direction-indicator for automobiles.



P. W. VANDERHOFF. DIRECUON rNDlcAToR Foa AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION HLED )UNE 6'. 19H5.

Patented J uly 3l, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

P. W. VANDER'HOFF.

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION men TUNE 6. 191s.

1,234,975. Patented my 31, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E Pkw/anderhalf P. W, VANDEHHOFF. ummm mmcATo R FOR AUDMOSILES.

APPLICATIH FILED JUNE 6. i916.

Patenajuly 31, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

me/Moc,

PAUL VANDEBHOFF, OF TOFEKA, KANSAS.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.

.Application 'tiled June 6, 1916.' Serial No. 102,043.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Pm. W. VANDER- proved signaling system applied to a con# ventional form of motor vehlcle, the vehicle HOFF, a citizen ofthe United States, residing'l being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a sidel elevation of the signaling at Topeka, i'n the county o`f Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in Direction-Indicators for Automobiles, of which the followin is a specication.

y* invention relates to new and useful improvements in directionv signaling systems and more particularly to signaling systems of this character for use u on motor vehicles, the primary object o my invention being the provision of a system in which the signal is given by the vertical or substantially vertical movement or raising of a suitable signal.

1n this connection, a further object of -my invention consists in equipping the vehicle with a pair of signals at the front and a pair at the rear and providing a mechanism by means of which the signals at the right or the signals at the left of the vvehicle may be selectively operated, the operation of both signals upon' the same side of the vehicle bein simultaneous.

While any suita le type of signal, such Y as a hand, pointer or other device may be employed, I preferably provide signal lights, one of the objects of the resent invention consisting'in the utilization of the usual head and tail lights of the vehicle for signaling purposes, although separate and independent lights may be employed, if preferred.

Another object which I have in view is the provision of a simple and durable mechanism by means of which the signal hghts may be raised and lowered, as desired.

My invention further comprehends, in case lights other than the head and tail lights of the vehicle are .employed as signals, the provision of means for automatically closing circuits through any lights which are raised for signaling purposes and for automatically opening such circuits when the lights are lowered.

With these and other objects in view, my

invention will be more fully described, illus' trated in the accompanying drawings, and

then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this a plication. In t e drawings:

Figure 1 lsfa top plan .view of i1`n' system removed from the vehicle, parts being broken away to permit a showing upon a suitable scale;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partially in sec-' tion, of the signaling system g:

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken.. through one of the light standard supportinguides; l

igs. 5 and 6 arel transverse sectional views taken on the corresponding lines of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows in both instances;

Fi 7' is a view corresponding to but s owing an automatic means for openand closing the signal light circuit; y

ig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of one method of wiring the signal system when automatic control of the lights is desired.. Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by. the lsame reference characters.

My improved signaling system preferably includes a pair of supporting members or bars 10 which are mounted to extend longitudinally of the vehicle, one at either side,

and which, at their ends, are upturned to provide standard supporting guides 11 and 12 disposed at the front and rear -of the vehicle. The upturned end portions of the bars 10 are either U-shaped in section or carry spaced guide strips 13 connected at` their upper ends by a cross piece forming a retainer 14 and adjacent their'lower ends `by 95 a similar cross piece- 15. Intermediate these cross pieces are opposed retaining members 16, the adjacent ends of which are spaced for a reason which will be later apparent. The upturned ends 11, at the front of the vehicle, may be disposed adjacent either side of the radiator or near the dash, as reerred, and referably project in a vertical direction, w ile the upturned ends,-12, at the, r-ear of the vehicle, are preferably inclosedin the vehicle body and project upwardly andy outwardly at. an angle in conflormance to the contour o f the body.

Brackets 17, carried b iat.

turned ends of the frame members. journal .longitudinally extending`1'na1'allel. shafts 18 rwhich, at their front and rear 'ends,"carry crank arms 19 normally depending downward. Pivot lbolts 20 are passed through the free ends of lin-ks 21, through :spacer collars or sleeves 22 and through the freeendsof the crank .arms'19 and secured by i nuts 23 or o ther suitable/retaining means.

Pivot bolts 24 are passed-through-the 'free ends of the links 21 and'intothe lower por#1 v tions Iof standards 25 whichare reciprocally mountedin the guideways formed at the front and rear of the vehicle' by the upturned portions 1-1and A12'and Ythe guide strips and`- retainers 'carried' thereby. `Obl'viously, it will be apparent'thatthe turning `of either shaft 18 will act through its crank arms and connected links 21"to raise. the 4standards 25and so project their upperends ata considerable distance above Athe guideways, the pivot bolts 24 passing freely betweenthe `spaced ends fof. the retaining 1 members 16 during this .movement ofthe standards. If, therefore, any suitable'sig-- nal, such as a hand, .arrow 'or' light, is

. vn iounted upon 'eachstandard, it 'will be clear l, thatboth signals at the rightor both sigv nals a't the left of the Avehicle may be. raised A so by proper .turning of their controlling shaft. As aA means for' selectively .turning the shafts to raise and lower the standards, I'.

A provide each shaft with a'pinion 26 vwhich meshes with a toothed sector 27 swingingly supported by a bracket 28 carried by the .adjacent side bar 10 and provided with an arm 29 extending in vthe direction opposite to the toothedl terminal and carrying a foot plunger 3()v which projects through -the floor vof the vehicle and which serves as a 'means for swinging the toothed sector 27 to turn the shaft with whichlit cooperates. These foot plungers or pedals are secured to the arms29 by bolts or other suitable fastening devicesl which also serve to support counterweights 32. These weights should be ofl sufiicient weight to each nearly counter-l balance the Weight of one pair of signals, of the type employed, and ,their operating mechanism so that' after such pair of signals hasbee'n raised by a depression of the foot pedal, the signals will be gradually lowered to place upon release of thepedal.

Although any vsuitable signal .may be mounted upon each of the standards 25, 1 prefer to employ the usual head or side lights of the vehicle, the usual tail light and a` supplemental tail light. In the drawings, the headlights are shown at 33 and the tail lights lat .34, Obviously, the condition of all lights, as far as appearance is concerned, will be thev same as'during the da'yall lights willr be extinguished and during the night all lights will be illuminated. .The sinaling is, therefore, accomplished'not by the .appearance of certainofthe lights Awith respect tothe others, but by their pofsition with respect tothe others.- For in; f stance, if the lights .atone side of the ver..

hicle are raised,l attention will be 'called' to' them'and they will serve to indicate an intent upon the drivers part to turn in that will show intent to stop the vehicleor to fback it. This signal will, obviously, be dis- .fplayed 'at..both the front and rear of thev vehicle and will Warn drivers of other ve-4 direction. AIf, all the lights are raised, they h-icles approaching from either direction, asv

` well as'pe'destrians at street crossings/and" Aook" thel llke. 4

If desired, lights in; addition to the usual head or side-.lights and tail lights .of the -vehicle may `be employed Afor the signaling system and ifs'uch i's the case I preferably provide means .for automatically opening and closing the light'circuits 'when the signal lights are'in normal-or in danger lposition.. In Figs.7 to 9 of the drawings I. have illustrated a system in which one of the sign nal'lights 35 has one of its bulb terminals grounded and has a Wire 36 leading from its other terminal through a channel or bore,

'37 formedin thestandard 2 5 'to a binding post 38 carriedby a contact brush 39 mount,-`

ed inthe standard and insulated' therefrom by a sleeve 40'. Mounted in l the upstanding arm or guide 11,'adjacent its upper end, is

A a sleeve of insulating material 41 into which is threaded ametallic cup42 formed with l an opening through-which projects a-contact pin 43, the head 44 of Whichseats in the cup. A binding post-45 is threaded into the open end of the cup andengages against a'leaspring- 46 which in turn engages the contact p in.- It will, therefore, be clear that when the 'standard 25 is raised, the contact brush 39 will engage the contact .pin 43. Current is supplied to the light through ing post 45 of the signals at one side of the yehicle, whilea wire -50 connects the binding post at the other sideof the vehicle. A wire 51 connects the wires'49 and 50 .and

a branch wire-52, including in its length a manually operable. switch 53, leadsfrom the W1re51 to one pole cfa batteryv54, the other pole of which is grounded as shown at 55. In place of the battery, current may be supplied by a magneto or.. dynamo, if desired.

With the above described Wiring, it will be clear that if the switch. 53 is closed, any

signal lights which are raised will be connected in grounded .circuit with the battery. Opening of the switch 53 will cut out 130 l all the lights so that the signa-l may be em ployed in the daytime without waste of 'Y current.

Inasmuch as numerous signal devices proper may be employed with my system and various ways of wiring the system, if electric signal devices are utilized, may be designed, I do not wish to limit myself-to' the specific details of construction `and par\ ticular arrangement of parts shown, but reserve the right to make any changes, within the scope of the appended claims, without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit of my invention.

For instance, springs 56 may be provided to normally hold the pedals in raised position to prevent undesired movement ci the lights, due to jolting of the vehicle, and the vShanks of the pedals may be notched so that they may be swung into engagement with the latches 57 to hold the pedals in lowered position against the springs if the driver Wishes to keep the signals in raised position for any length of time.

avin thus described the invention, what is c aimed as new is:

l. In direction signals for vehicles, guides mounted at the Jfront and rear of the .vehi cle, signal carrying standards reciprocally mounted in the guides, and means for reciprocating the standards, said means including a rock shaft, crank arms carried by the rock shaft, links connecting the free ends of the crank arms with thestandards, and means for rocking the shaft.

2. In direction signals for vehicles, guides mounted at the front and rear of the vehicle, signal carryin standards reciprocally mounted in the gui es, a roc-k shaft, crank yarms carried by the rock shaft, links connecting the crank arms and standards, ay

pinipn xed upon the rock shaft,'a,` counterweighted sector meshing with the plnhioll,y and means for swinging the sector.

3. In direction signals for vehicles, reciprocally mounted signalelements, a) rock shaft, crank arms carried by the rock shaft adjacentthe signal elements, links .opera- A tively connecting the crank arms with the shaft, crank arms carried by the rock shaft adjacent the signal elements, links operatively connecting the crank arms with the signal elements, a pinion fixed on the shaft, a counterweighted segment operatively mounted and meshing with the pinion, a foot pedal operatively connected to the counterweighted end of the segment, and a spring for normally holding the pedal -in one position.

5. In a direction signal for vehicles, a guide provided in one face with an open channel, retaining elements secured to the guide and projecting partially across the channel, a standard reciprocally mounted in the guide, a stud projecting from the stand.- ard and movable past the retaining elements, a signal element carried by the standard, and means operatively connected to the stud for reciprocating the standard.

In testimony whereof I aftlx my signature.

PAUL W. VANDERHOFF. [1.. s]

copies ot this patent may be obtained or ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner c! Patents,

` Washington, D. C. 

